


After Effects

by TLvop



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Flash Fic, Gen, Hard of Hearing Clint Barton, POV Second Person, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-10
Updated: 2012-06-10
Packaged: 2017-11-07 10:49:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/430231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TLvop/pseuds/TLvop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You don't need evidence to know he's not doing well.</p><p>(But if you did, you'd have it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	After Effects

You don't need evidence to know that he's not doing well.

The report says: Loss of control due to unexplained extraterrestrial influence; loss of agents, including those he'd been working with in close proximity his eighteen year tenure.

You don't need evidence. But if you did, you'd have it:

The slight forced edge to his jokes; the way he tears himself out of his daydreams instead of losing himself in them; the fact that he refuses to spar with you. Refuses to spar with anyone who was on the Helicarrier.

The way he won't sleep unless you're in bed, too, between him and the door. How often he disappears. The fact that when he kisses you, sometimes, he's unexpectedly gentle – like he's surprised you're still there. How he never takes off his duty hearing aids, never switches to his normal ones that aren't sturdy enough for combat.

The report says: PTSD-like symptoms, either due to trauma or after effect of psychic influence; survivor grief. Mission operable, class 3 -- recommended decisions made by another source. Re-evaluation in a month or as needed.

You don't need evidence to know he's not doing well, but it disturbs you how much evidence there is.


End file.
